[Federal Register: December 28, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 248)]
[Notices]
[Page 77772-77773]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28de04-135]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
AGENCY: National Park Service.
ACTION: Notice of availability of the draft wilderness and backcountry
management plan/draft environmental impact statement, Isle Royale
National Park, Michigan.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42
U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service (NPS) announces the
availability of a draft wilderness and backcountry management plan/
environmental impact statement (WBMP EIS) for Isle Royale National Park
(ISRO), Michigan.
DATES: There will be a 60-day public review period for comments on this
document. Comments on the draft WBMP EIS must be received no later than
60 days after the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice
of availability in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft WBMP EIS or a summary document are
available by request by writing to Phyllis Green, Superintendent, Attn:
WBMP, Isle Royale National Park, 800 East Lakeshore Drive, Houghton,
Michigan 49931, or by e-mail message at isro--wbmp@nps.gov. The
document can be picked up at the park's headquarters at the same
address, or viewed over the Internet at the park's Web site at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nps.gov/isro/home.htm. Copies of the draft or summary document will
be sent to over 500 interested parties, as well as to public libraries
throughout Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jean Battle, Chief of Resource
Management, Isle Royale National Park, 800 East Lakeshore Drive,
Houghton, Michigan 49931, 906-487-9080 extension 34 or jean--
battle@nps.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NPS management policies require the
superintendent of each park containing wilderness resources will
develop and maintain a wilderness management plan to guide the
preservation, management, and use of these resources. The IRSO's
[[Page 77773]]
wilderness was designated in 1976, and the park does not have an
approved wilderness management plan. The purpose of this draft WBMP EIS
is to satisfy that requirement and bring ISRO into compliance with NPS
policies. This draft WBMP EIS does not propose any changes in
wilderness boundaries within ISRO, but it does propose formalizing and
implementing some changes in how that wilderness is managed. The draft
plan proposes several alternatives for management actions that would
achieve the goals of wilderness management in the park consistent with
The Wilderness Act and NPS policies. The primary issues being addressed
in the plan that may result in management changes include: managing
permitting for overnight camping and boating in the park, managing
organized day tours in the park, managing campfires, the maintenance or
removal of fire towers, the maintenance or removal of picnic tables in
wilderness campgrounds, the use of treated lumber for trail
maintenance, and the application of the minimum tool decision tree to
determining the appropriate tools for maintenance, research, and other
management practices within the park's wilderness.
Persons wishing to comment may do so by any one of several methods.
They may mail comments to the Superintendent, Attn: WBMP, Isle Royale
National Park, 800 East Lakeshore Drive, Houghton, Michigan 49931, or
call the Chief of Resource Management at 906-487-9080 extension 34.
They may comment via e-mail to isro--wbmp@nps.gov (include name and
return address in the e-mail message). Finally, they may hand-deliver
comments to park headquarters at 800 East Lakeshore Drive, Houghton,
Michigan.
The NPS practice is to make comments, including names and home
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular
business hours. Individual respondents may request we withhold their
home address from the record, which we will honor to the extent
allowable by law. There also may be circumstances in which we would
withhold from the record a respondent's identity, as allowable by law.
If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state
this prominently at the beginning of your comment. However, we will not
consider anonymous comments.
We will make all submissions from organizations or businesses, and
from individuals identify themselves as representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their
entirety.
Dated: November 5, 2004.
Ernest Quintana,
Regional Director, Midwest Region.
[FR Doc. 04-28287 Filed 12-27-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-92-P